Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1887-02-17
HALLOWEEN IN IRELAND.


Ona wild. clustering afternoon of the
lac. dav of October | made my way rs
~ could across stretch of billy
,noorland. vainy hoping that / might
n,eet with some one able to direct me TO
NV destination. Looking round per-
osived man waving MS arm to me,
and as approached him | noticed that
Lo was A piper-a fact of which he soon
informed me himself. adding that he
,ras on the way to Mr.. Connoliy's farm
~ nrovide the music for the dancing
that was sure to follow the regular
Halloween festivities. 1t was well he
deserted me on the moor, for if | had
nroceeded further in the direction | had
been following would have probably
fonnd myself laundering in the huge
and treacherous bog called in the
neigbborhood Red Mikes Rest. On the
vay Larry O Hara for 50 | learned
was the piper's name gave me much
curioDs information about the customs
If Hallowmas Eve in that part OF Ire
land. and as his account of how the
crea. bog from which'I had narrowly
escaped got its name is germane to my
subject, | will give it here.
Red Mike, your honor, was the only
son of Widow O'Flaherty. He was a
oueer one from his birth, an no won
der. for he first saw the light atween
dusk an dark O Haliowmas Eve.
Hereabouts the people say that if a
baby be born on this night, it rims a
moghtv good chance o. bein' possessed
by some sproite or other; it may or may
not be uue. Dim sure it's beyont the
likes o me to say whether soch things
are possible or not, but oi 10iI say that
Mike U'Flaherty was different to other
men from the first He wor always up
to some game, he wor an niyver for
good-leastway njyyer heard o amy
GOOD he iyer did He lied and broke
Ills uoth to man an woman. an got
into bad odor with priest an magistrate,
for nigh upon twelve years arter he
came 10 manhood, until the judgment O
God came upon him. One Hallow Eve
he was at the house o the Flannigans,
up by Glen Creachan. He was courtin'
Mary Flannigan, though livery one on
us knew she didn't care two straws for
Red Mike, but was all aglow wi love
for Larry O'Rourke. the Limerick car
rier It's the custom in these parts for
the childer to run into the cabbage yard
afore the evenin fun begins, an to
pick out number o. cabbage stalks,
an name them AFTER any seven o the
folk they have anything to do with;
then, having finished wi the choosin'.
they dance around the place
Flanngan's chllJer, havin' finished
their song, ran into the house an asked
all the folk to come ont an see their
souls. Ould Flanagan pulled his cab
bage stalk, and Mrs. Flanagan hers,
an young Tim Flanagan his. an Mrs.
Tim hers, an purity Mary Flanagan
hers, and Larry Q Rourke his, until it
came to Mike O'Fiahcrty's turn. The
stalks of all the others had been quite
clean an white, but when Red Mike
pulled up his, it was all black and toul
wi worms an slugs, an wi 4 real bad
smell ahint it. Larry O'Rourke laughed.
an Mary Flanagan giggled, an the
others all looked molghty consumed.
Mike gared about him for a moment,
more like a mad bull or a haythin Turk
nor a Christian. Then he up an SAYS;
Ye may laugh, Larry O'Rourke, but
yell no be laughin long; ay, We may
Singer, Mary, but yen be cryin for
nanny n day, whan yer lovers below
the sod, as he will be before the year S
out As for you, ould Flanagan, you
an your son an all that belong to We
will have cause to curse the day when
ye Knocked Red Mike, rs ye call me. Ye
forget ! was born on Hallow Eve! Fve
the gift O the sight, have, and on this
day my curse can blast whatever |
choose What more Red Mike would
have said | don't know, but at that mo-
meut Father OConnor came up to
where all were stan'm'. Curses come
Il home to roost, says he to OFlaherty, in
h starn voice AN it's YOU that'll suffer,
Nike O'Flaherty an no one here. Get
ye gone at once, or I'll put the word on
ye, IN go whan | choose, Father
\ OConnCr, says Red Mike, surlly. The
next moment the priest drew n crtcitx
from his breast, saying to OFlahegty
that even if he wor in league wi the
devil, he could not withstand that
Mike gave a howl iist loike a wild
basic an thin turned an ran down the
/ glen as fast as he could. Ould Thady
King, the piper (now dead God rest his
so|.) Wor crossing this moor that night,
an who should he see but Red Mike
danc.n an shoutin' like mad. an
sreamin' in mortal fear NIike Miker
Guild Ihady cried; but O'Flaherty paid
q? aitlntion to him. but kept on scream
10 an sometimes shoutin out, NV
ume is up my time is upY Suddenly
ne bent forrard an ran like the wind,
'oaG one great leap, an disappeared in
Ile ground as if he had jumped into the
sea Nothin' more wor ever seen O
hea Mike, .eastWisc as man. An
'aat why the great bog yonder is
called Red Mikes Rest. - Vm. Sharp,
w AMLerN .HnlnaMe.